Shadows from within
by Igginator
Summary: What if Valen Dreth, the Darkelf in prison was tied in with the assassination of the Emperor... CHAPTER 2 NOW UP! PLZ READ AND REVIEW IT! rated T for violence and themes
1. Lifes hard!

**Shadows from within****  
**This story is set before the Emperor or any of his sons were assassinated and while the Dark Brotherhood still had all of their Guildhalls working.

I wrote this to try and fill the gap of how a lot of the Dark Brotherhood's Guildhalls were attacked from the inside and why? Also until now everyone has thought the Mithic Dawn were responsible for the deaths of both the emperor and his sons, this story gives another possibility involving everyone's most hated Darkelf, Valen Dreth! This also will explain how he might have ended up in jail.

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Valen Dreth was only a young Darkelf at about the age of 9, when guards stormed his father's house in Cheydinhal.  
Valen could do nothing but watch and hide under a wooden table as the group of city watchmen beat his father into a bloody mess!

"_We know that you took Nebise's ring, you filthy Darkelf!"_ shouted one of the guards.

"_Please don't...hurt me!"_Pleaded Tenir, who was Valen's Father, _"I...I didn't take anything!"_

"_Liar!"_ And with that, a guard lodged his blade deep into Tenir's chest. Blood dribbled everywhere and Tenir took his last breathe, he coughed up more blood and then collapsed into a pile not far from Valen's hiding place!

The guards entered Valen's mother's room and soon she could be heard screaming in pain as the guards tortured her in ways unimaginable.  
Valen crept out from under the table trying not to make much noise. He approached his father's corpse and he wept quietly, unable to hold back the tears.

"_Father, I promise to avenge your death! I will get these Imperial scum and I will make them pay with more than just their lives!" _promised Valen to his father's bleeding corpse.

Valen heard his mother gasp for air as the watchmen slit her throat, showing no mercy!  
The guards came out of the room only to find that the door was wide open and the sword that had once been in Tenir's chest had been dislodged and was now in possession of whoever had taken it!

"_I bet it was the child! Valen Dreth!"_ stated the guard as they all quickly left the house in search of Valen.

**7 years later  
**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Valen Dreth stabbed the Nord in the back of the skull with his dagger, killing him instantly and showering Valen in blood!  
Only a few minutes ago Valen had been talking to the Nord over a drink about how many people were dying, little did he know that Valen was there only to kill him!

Valen Dreth cleaned his weapon and he left the Nord lying face down dead on the dark pier.  
Suddenly a dark robbed figure appeared before Valen.

_"Well done Valen, you have quite a nice bit of anger there, it could be useful. I'm here to tell you that you have now been accepted into the Dark Brotherhood! You will be posted at a guildhall in the Imperial city. You must now go there immediately .Good luck"_ said Lucien Lachance.  
Lucien disappeared right before Valen Dreth, leaving him alone out in the cold, dark night.

Valen had been lucky and he was able to go along with a merchant caravan that was going to Bruma after he ran away from his house. Once Valen Dreth was in Bruma he was contacted by Lucien Lachance after he had killed an orc in a brutal bar fight.

Valen packed his equipment and he purchased a horse that could get him to the Imperial city. He still had no idea were in the Imperial city the guildhall was but he would worry about that later. Right now he was just focused on leaving Bruma.

He mounted his horse outside the city and he began the long ride to the Imperial city.

After what seemed like years of travelling Valen Dreth finally came to the Imperial city. Valen tied up his horse in the stables and he entered the great city. It was the greatest thing Valen Dreth had ever seen, crowds of people were rushing back and forth in between large white buildings.

Valen also noticed the large amount of guards on both the high walls and down on the ground. He covered his weapons with his dark green coat and he began to search for Lucien or anyone else dressed similar to him.

"_Well, well, well. What do we have here boys!" _shouted a voice from behind Valen Dreth.  
He turned only to be face to face with the guards that had killed his family 7 years ago!  
Their post must have been moved, to the Imperial city!

**TO BE CONTINUED...**_  
_


	2. Revenge

This is the second chapter in my series about Valen Dreth called Shadows from within.  
I hope that you have liked it so far.  
**Please review it after you have finished reading because I would like to improve to make the story more enjoyable for readers.**

The Imperial Watchmen pushed Valen Dreth into a dark alley behind one of the store areas.

_"You should have died long ago Valen, alongside with that good for nothing thing you call family!" _yelled one of the watchmen.

The group of 3 kept advancing on Valen, their hands were resting on the hilts of their longswords; their hands were shaking in anticipation. They showed only deep anger in their eyes.

Valen Dreth backed up till he bumped into a long garden stake, and he gripped it tightly with his long slim fingers.

"_Don't even tempt me with the pleasure of killing all three of you now, because here no one can hear your screams as I rip out your heart!" _said Valen.

The words sent a chill down the spines of the watchmen as they weren't quite sure if Valen was being serious and they didn't want to find out. The 2 guards at the back began to walk away slowly till they were out of Valen's attacking range and then they sprinted back out into the open streets, leaving Cloclonus, who was the remaining watchmen; alone with Valen Dreth.

"_Time to die, Darkelf scum!"_ shouted Cloclonus as he drew his longsword from its sheath.

Valen quickly pulled the long stake out of the ground and he evaded a downward slash from Cloclonus' longsword.

Valen jabbed the stake at Cloclonus' leg armour but the wood was easily deflected by the tough metal armour!

Both warriors recovered from the attack and prepared to strike again.  
Suddenly Cloclonus lunged at Valen with his Longsword held high above his head!

Cloclonus' longsword cut down through the air above Valen, but he managed to duck the swing and he lodged the garden stake deep into one of the unprotected parts of Cloclonus' armour, his armpit!

The guard let out a high pitched scream and he dropped his longsword almost instinctively.  
He dropped to his knees, and while wailing in pain he muttered _"Please don't kill me! I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I promise!"_

"_Tell it to someone who cares!" _shouted Valen as he pulled off Cloclonus' helmet.

Valen Dreth ripped out the stake from Cloclonus and he struck it down hard on Cloclonus' now exposed head! The stake travelled out the bottom of his jaw and wedged itself into the ground! Cloclonus was covered in blood and he was now stuck to the ground, Garden stake through his head.

Valen drew his dagger and he carved his initials into the back of the dead guard's neck. V D

"_Is that your signature?"_ asked a voice from behind Valen.

Valen turned to see another figure, they were wearing the same type of robes as Lucien Lachance was wearing the night he murdered the Nord.

"_Yes, I want to spread fear to those I wish to kill."_ replied Valen. _"Are you a member of the Dark Brotherhood?"_

"_I am the leader of the guildhall here in the Imperial city, I see you have a unique way of murdering people Valen" _said the robed figure, obviously talking about the stake through Cloclonus' head!

"_How do you know my name, stranger?"_ asked Valen

"_I know lots of things, but enough of that, lets head to the guildhall before the guards see what a mess you've made." _spoke the black robed man.

The guildhall was a large area hidden underneath the Elven Gardens district. It was dimly lit by candles from the tables that lined the walls. Everywhere assassins entered through doors and left via other doors, everyone of them all bearing a golden shortsword by their side.

The stranger that had been guiding Valen turned around and said _"My name is Octagi and I have only 1 question to ask you before you get your weapons and any contracts. Why have you come to join our brotherhood?"_

"_Octagi, I have come to join your guild in hope of revenge. I want to receive enough training to strike at the Imperials were it hurts, to avenge my families death!" _replied Valen.

"_What is this target that you hope of killing, that you think will avenge your family's death?"_

Valen stared at Octagi directly and answered boldly,

"_I wish to kill the emperor and all his sons, so that for once the Imperials will be without guidance and I can wreak havoc and death against all that have stood up to me and my family! That will be enough to avenge my family!"_

"_I can see you truly wish to accomplish that goal but I'm afraid that will be impossible as it breaks one of our guild rules, which states that no one shall attempt to assassinate anyone that might draw to much unwanted attention to the guild unless allowed by a member of the black hand themselves! And you will never get that kind of permission."_ said Octagi.

"_We'll see about that..." muttered Valen under his breath._

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


End file.
